BOSTON -- The first time the Red Sox faced Justin Verlander, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player yielded two hits in eight shutout innings and looked just about unhittable in the process.

Brian MacPherson Journal Sports Writer brianmacp

BOSTON -- The first time the Red Sox faced Justin Verlander, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player yielded two hits in eight shutout innings and looked just about unhittable in the process.

The first time the Red Sox faced Verlander, they didn't have Daniel Nava.

Those waiting for the clock to strike midnight on the rags-to-riches Nava might be waiting a while. His latest triumph was a three-run double in the fourth inning on Tuesday, the biggest hit in a 6-3 win for the Red Sox over Verlander and the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park.

"That at-bat was as good an at-bat as I've seen in years," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "You know, 100-mile-per-hour pitch, 3-2 count, down the left-field line, after just missing a 3-1 pitch that he really wanted. It was a very, very good at-bat."

The win put the 25-24 Red Sox over .500 for the first time this season -- and pulled them within 3 1/2 games of first place in the American League East to boot.

Nava came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in the fourth inning. The first pitch Verlander threw him was clocked at 98 miles per hour -- the second, 100. Nava worked the count full and then jumped on a second 100-mile-per-hour fastball, rifling into the left-field corner to clear the bases.

"I had that 3-1 pitch that I swung through, and I needed to shorten my swing up," he said. "Fortunately, I got a pitch to do that with, and I had guys on base. Just keep it simple. I think I got out of my approach a little on 3-1 because it was a hitter's count. I just tried to calm myself down and keep it simple."

Nava, who also drew the only walk Verlander issued in the game, now has a .429 on-base percentage in 76 plate appearances since he was called up on May 10. Only five American League hitters had a higher on-base percentage since May 10 than Nava entering play Tuesday.

(Incidentally, the double was the second career extra-base hit for Nava in his career -- the first being the first-pitch grand slam he hit in his debut two years ago, the hit that made him a household name among Red Sox fans.)

Verlander yielded five earned runs on 10 hits, both season highs. The last time Verlander yielded five earned runs in a start was last September; the last time he allowed 10 hits was the September before that.

David Ortiz doubled and scored on a Mike Aviles ground ball in the second inning, and he doubled home Adrian Gonzalez in the fifth inning. The two doubles pulled Ortiz even with the New York Yankees' Robinson Cano for most in the American League with 18.

Ortiz then hit a solo home run into the Green Monster seats off reliever Duane Below, his 11th home run of the year. The designated hitter has more extra-base hits (29) this season even than the otherworldly Josh Hamilton (28).

Red Sox starter Daniel Bard, who once threw with Verlander-like velocity out of the bullpen but has struggled with his velocity as a starter, lowered his ERA to 4.56 with 5 1/3 effective innings in which he yielded two solo home runs but little else.

Bard sat consistently at 94 miles per hour in the early innings and 93 in the middle innings. His best sequence came when he threw back-to-back 95-mile-per-hour fastballs to Miguel Cabrera and then got him to swing and miss at a nasty slider down and away for a third strike, the third of his four strikeouts.

Bard hit a batter and issued two walks -- both, oddly, four-pitch walks to No. 9 hitter Ramon Santiago in which he didn't come close to the strike zone. He finished with more strikeouts than walks for the first time since April 27.

Jhonny Peralta and Prince Fielder both took Bard deep in the game -- the first time as a starter Bard has allowed two home runs in a game. Bard bounced back from the Fielder home run to strike out Delmon Young, the final hitter he faced.